William g



W. G. HUGHES.

Horse Cage. i

No. 44.095. A Patented Sept. 6, 1864.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

YVILLIAM G. HUGHES, OF MERRIAM, INDIANA,

HORSE-CAGE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 44,095, dated September 6, 1864.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM G. HUGHES, of Merriam, in the county of Noble and State of Indiana, have invented a newand Improved Horse-Gage; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof,'which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the aceompanyin g draw ings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is a side sectional view of. my invention, taken in the line 00 00, Fig. 2; Fig. 2, a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate like parts.

Thisinvention relates to anew and improved device for confining, while being shod, horses and other animals.

The object of the invention is to obtain a device for the purpose specified,which will be simple in construction, easily manipulated, and which will put the horse, even if vicious, under the complete control of the shoer or op erator.

A represents a framing, which may be composed of two upright end pieces connected at their upper parts by horizontal parallel bars a a, between which, at about their centers, there is fitted a windlass, B, to which two ropes, O C, are attached, said ropes passing over pulleys D D on the ends of the framing, and having their ends connected to verticallysliding frames or sashes E E which are fitted between suitable guides, b, at the ends of the framing A. By turning the windlass B the sashes E E may be raised or lowered to any desired height. In the sash E there is placed a windlass, F, which may have two ropes, G G, attached to it, said ropes extending horizontally and longitudinally through the framing A and passing around pulleys c in the sash E, and thence back through the framing to the sash E, where they are secured to the upper part of the latter, as shown at d. Each rope G passes over two pulleys, cone above the otherand said pulleys are made of conical form and grooved eircumferentially to receive the ropes, two or more grooves being made in each pulley, so that the ropes may be fitted on difierent parts of the peripheries thereof, to increase or diminish the distance between their upper and lower parts, as may be desired. One of the ropes G is divided and has its ends connected by a hook, H. In the sash E there is placed a small windlass, I, and to said sash there is also attached a horizontal'curved bar, J, which projects within the framing and is designed for the breast of the animal to bear against. It may be termed a breast-bar.

K K are two windlasses placed at the inner sides of the ends of the framing A, and having the ends of two ropes, L L, attached to it. These ropes L L are below the lower parts of the ropes G G.

M represents a stand, which is placed within the framing A, and is provided with two adjustable uprights, N N, one near each end. These uprights are each provided with a rack, c, with which pawls f engage, and the two uprights are connected by a lever, 0, having its fulcrum at g. By this arrangementit will be seen that when one upright is forced down the other will be shoved up. Each upright has a socket, P, at its upper end.

The device is used as follows: The horse has a halter placed on it, the halter-rope being attached to the windlass, one of the ropes G having been previously uuhooked to admit the horse into the framing. By turning the windlass I the halter-rope is wound up and the breast of the horse brought in contact with the bar J, the latter preventing the horse from moving forward, while the halter will prevent him from moving backward. The rope G which was uuhooked is then adjusted in position, and both ropes G G stretched by turning the windlass F, the horse being between the two ropes G, which are raised or lowered to suit the height of the horse by turning the windlass B, and adjusted at a greater or less distance apart by placing them properly on the pulleys c, the upper parts of the ropes G beingjust below the back of the horse and the lower parts just above the belly. (See Fig. 1, in which a portion of the horse is shown in red outline.) The horse being thus secured by the halter, breast-bar, and ropes, as above described, one foot is laid in the socket l of the upright N, which socket is curved rather more downward at its outer end, to afford better facility for clinching the nails, the latter being then clinched. If the horse does not feel disposed to keep his footin the socket, it maybe retained therein by means of a rope, Q, the ends of which are attached to P the base on which the framing rests, said rope passing over the foot of the horse and made to press snugly thereon by forcing up the upright on which the foot rests. The rope Q; at the same time will keep the stand M snugly secured to the base of the framing.

The ropes L L of the Windlass K K are used in shoeing horses which are disposed to kick, the foot of the horse being secured to said ropes by means of straps arranged in any proper way;

Having thus deseribediny invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The ropes G G, windlass F, adjustable sashes E E, halter-Windlass I, and breast-bar J, all combined and applied to a framing, A, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. 4

2. The stand M, provided with the adjustable uprights N N, having foot-sockets P at their upper ends, in combination with the ropes G G, Windlass F, sashes E E, and either with or without the ropes L L and windlasses K K, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

YVM. G. HUGHES. Witnesses:

JAMEs CUNNINGHAM, ORIN BOGGS. 

